I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tools used by electricians and others involved in the installation of wiring or cabling. More specifically, the present invention relates to tools used to staple a wire or cable in place and to remove such staples when it is necessary to move or remove the cable or staple.
The building codes which exist in most areas of North America require electrical and other cables used in construction projects to be securely attached to adjacent support members rather than hang loose. A variety of staple designs are employed to satisfy these building code requirements. While these staples are sometimes made of a bare metal material, such staples typically also include a plastic or other non-conductive member which holds the metal portion of the staple away from the cable as the staple is used to secure the cable to the support structure.
As nearly anyone who has used such staples to secure a wire or cable to a support structure can attest, it is sometimes difficult to hold the wire and staple in place with one hand and secure it in place using a hammer held in the other hand. All too often, the hammer comes into contact with the fingers of the hand holding the staple. The force applied to the hammer to cause the hammer to drive the staple into the support structure can, and often does, cause injury to the fingers of the hand holding the staple and cable. Under certain circumstances, electrical contractors have used an elongated pliers or tweezers to hold the staple in place as it is being set with a hammer. This is done to keep the fingers and hands away from the working end of the hammer. However, the use of such tools to hold the staple is often quite clumsy and leads to increased inefficiency and time in completing the task of securing the cabling to the support structure.
Likewise, a variety of tools have been used to try to extract staples from the support structure. Such tools include screw drivers, picks, pliers, or the like. All too often when such tools are used, the working end of the tool gouges, cuts, penetrates or otherwise damages the insulation of the cable such that the cable is unfit for use. Sometimes such damage to the cable's insulation goes unnoticed creating a potentially hazardous situation.
As one skilled in the art will readily appreciate, damaging the insulation surrounding the wires of a cable may lead to a short circuit or other electrical fault which could cause damage to equipment, injury to people coming into contact with the exposed portion of the wire or even a fire.
In view of the foregoing, there is a real and longfelt need in the industry for a single tool which can be employed by people installing cable to hold a staple as it is being pounded into place and which can further be employed to extract the staple from the support structure without damaging the outer insulation of the cable.